CINCINNATI — When Sam Haynes saw a car swerving erratically across several lanes on Interstate I-275 Friday afternoon, his first thought was about his sister, not becoming an Internet sensation.
Haynes' sister lost her ability to walk after a car accident in 2009. He thought he was about to experience another tragedy Friday afternoon.
Haynes, a 26-year-old construction worker from Amelia, was driving home from work when he saw a woman swerving "all over" eastbound I-275 near Kellogg Avenue, he said. His heart and mind immediately starting racing.
"I couldn't believe it," Haynes said. "I was like, 'I need to get behind this lady. She's going to hurt someone.'"
Haynes sped up, called the police and told them what he saw unfolding.
"She had two wheels in the grass at one point — before I started filming," Haynes said. "She nearly missed a lane merge. Something just clicked in my head and I knew I had to follow her. That's when I started recording."
The video from Haynes' cellphone lit up social media in the first 24 hours after it was posted. More than 430,000 people viewed the video on his Facebook page, and it was shared more than 10,000 times.
"I don't know how it got so big," Haynes said. "I really don't know. I just thought it would be something to share with my friends. Never something this big."
In the video, Haynes follows the erratic white Chevrolet Cavalier for several hundred feet, screaming at certain points in attempts to get the woman to pull over.
Eventually, the woman slows down and Haynes pulls near her vehicle. He says his shouting must have scared her and compelled her to finally come to a stop.
"I just had so many different emotions going at that point," Haynes said as he waited next to her car. "I didn't know what to expect. I just wanted to be nice. I didn't want anything to go wrong."
Haynes and the woman sat in the median until two sheriff's deputies arrived. A few seconds after he stopped recording, Haynes said the woman passed out.
The woman, Sandra Harris, 43, of Mount Orab, was taken to an area hospital where she was later cited, according to Hamilton County Sheriff's Office officials.
Harris was charged with driving under the influence and received a marked lanes violation, officials said.
Further paperwork on the issue was in the process of being completed Saturday and officials believed Harris would have a court appearance in three to five weekdays.
Haynes hopes that his video makes people realize how fragile life is. He also hopes that someday there will be harsher penalties for DUI offenses.
"Nowadays you never know what's going to happen when you walk out your door," Haynes said.
Unfortunately for Haynes, his family had already experienced tragedy on the roads.
Lindsey Haynes, Sam's older sister, was in a coma for several months after an accident less than two miles from their Amelia home.
Lindsey Haynes was driving on Mount Holly Road when she was struck by another driver and tossed into a ditch. She is still in a wheelchair after the incident. The family said the second driver was at fault.
Sam Haynes said he thought about her a lot during Friday's event.
"His heart was in the right place yesterday," said Julie Haynes, Sam's mother. "He's that kind of person because of what he's been through with my daughter. He knew he had to do something yesterday, even if it meant sacrificing his safety."
You can see the video — which contains profanity — here.
Contributing: Bob Strickley, The Cincinnati Enquirer
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